


a sweet revelation

by foggybeaches (Pbgrpy)



Series: stuck in my head [2]
Category: National Football League RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, Los Angeles Rams, M/M, Philadelphia Eagles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 21:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12802833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pbgrpy/pseuds/foggybeaches
Summary: "I miss you, J," Carson says, and suddenly Jared is struck with a wave of longing, the fact that he hasn't seen Carson in about five months sitting on his chest like a weight.





	a sweet revelation

**Author's Note:**

> Just some fluff about Jared and Carson. Work of fiction, standard disclaimer etc. etc.  
> Title from Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You."  
> This is meant to take place during the Rams-Eagles game on Dec. 10, but I didn't realize it was in LA before writing this, so just assume it's in Philadelphia for our purposes.

Jared's leg starts bouncing with nervous energy four hours into the flight and doesn't stop for the rest of the trip, which he's sure is annoying the hell out of his seatmate.

He checks his phone, connected to the inflight wifi, for anything else from Carson but the latest message from him is still the one he got before takeoff: "call me when you get to your hotel J", followed by blue and green heart emojis. Jared is pretty sure he's going to explode from how wound-up and anxious and excited he is. He puts on his headphones, turns on his music, then turns it off, tries to nap but can't fall asleep, and then realizes he had coffee at the beginning of the flight. Only two more hours, he reminds himself, fiddling with his wristbands.

When they land, it's evening in Philly and bitterly cold and windy. It takes half an hour to get from the plane onto the bus and another hour to get to the hotel. By the time Jared changes into his pajamas, has the rest of the protein bar he started on the plane, and flops down on the hotel bed, he's exhausted. He finds the Sixers game on TV and calls Carson.

Carson answers on the third ring. "Hey, babe."

Jared can't help the stupid smile that spreads across his face. "Hey yourself."

"How was the flight?"

"Okay, boring 'cause I couldn't get to sleep."

Carson laughs softly into the phone. "You had coffee on the plane again, didn't you."

"Even if I did, I don't need any judgment from you," Jared says in mock annoyance.

Jared hears the sound of rustling sheets and the thump of a 240 pound body settling onto a mattress. "I miss you, J," Carson says, and suddenly Jared is struck with a wave of longing, the fact that he hasn't seen Carson in about five months sitting on his chest like a weight.

"Come over," Jared says, and he can hear the petulance in his own voice but can't stop himself. 

Carson laughs again. "Yeah, sure, babe, I'll just come stay with you guys at the hotel and hitch a ride to the stadium on your bus and everything."

Jared smiles despite himself. "You know what I mean. I just- miss you too."

They talk until Jared can't keep his eyes open anymore, and Carson promises to find Jared at the field after he's done with his pregame meetings with Sean and the other coaches. They don't say  _I love you_ \- weirdly, neither of them have been able to say it yet- but the pause before they hang up is loaded enough that Jared thinks, or hopes, they both feel it.

Jared still isn't completely awake the next morning when he drops into his seat on the bus next to Todd, who takes one look at him and shakes his head. "Your boy keep you up on the phone last night? Better hope they got coffee at the field, man."

Jared blushes and says, somewhat unconvincingly, "He's not- my boy, and I'm ready to go, TG."

Todd just smiles and claps him on the shoulder. "You know I'm not saying anything, but the whole team, even the practice squad's gotta know by now."

Jared blushes again and mumbles "Shut up, man," although some part of him is quietly pleased that his teammates think of him and Carson as a real thing.

At the stadium, Jared and his teammates get themselves loose and rolled out. Sean pulls Jared into the visiting coach's office to go over plans for Philly's corners and won't let him go until he can repeat them back word for word, so it's almost two by the time he's finally free. Jared hurries to the connecting hallway in the bowels of Lincoln Field where Carson told him to go, hoping he hasn't missed Carson.

His heart squeezes in his chest, partially with relief and partially with excitement, when he sees Carson leaned against a pipe on his phone. He's wearing an Eagles hat over his red hair and the pompom is making him look adorable. He's in under armor and shorts, but no tights which Jared finds inconceivable considering the Philly weather. His beard looks a lot better than it did when he was trying to start it over the summer, framing the angles of his jaw and face.

Jared's heart feels like it's going to beat out of his chest when he walks up to Carson and leans on the pipe next to him, barely keeping himself from jumping on him. Carson looks up from his phone and Jared has to take a breath when Carson's blue eyes catch him. 

"Hey, Carse," he says softly, and then they're hugging, fiercely, Jared's head tucked into Carson's shoulder, his arms tight around Carson's waist. Carson's hand squeezes the back of Jared's neck possessively and Jared melts against him. 

"I missed you so much, J, I- I'm so happy you're here," Carson whispers, his beard tickling the shell of Jared's ear. Jared smiles and turns his head to kiss him, hesitantly at first and more deeply when Carson makes a soft, pleased noise.

He turns Carson to press him against the wall, slipping his tongue into his mouth. He's very aware that outside the boiler room of Lincoln Field is not the place to be doing this, but he can't be bothered to stop, especially when Carson palms his ass and uses his grip to lightly grind his hips against Jared's.

They're finally interrupted by a piercing alarm from Carson's phone, though Carson keeps kissing Jared until Jared pulls away and says, "Carse. Please turn that off." 

Carson sheepishly smiles and pulls his phone out. "Sorry, babe, that's my alarm for warmups."

Jared can't stop the laugh that comes bubbling up. "I can't believe you set an alarm for our emotional reunion."

Carson grins back. "You know, I'm a really busy guy, comes with being the face of the franchise, star QB, a bunch of stuff you wouldn't get..."

Jared makes a mock thinking face. "Wait, you were drafted second in 2016, right? So who was the number 1 pick? I seem to be forgetting."

Carson laughs and grabs at Jared's shoulders like he's going to shove him but instead pulls him in for a kiss, dropping one hand to Jared's wrist to run his thumb along the soft skin under Jared's wristband. "Good luck today, J," he says, tone suddenly soft instead of joking. "I'll see you after?"

Jared sticks his lower lip out in a pout. "I can't believe I get so little time with you." He knows it's in the nature of their jobs, and he's much happier in LA than he would be freezing his toes off in some East Coast city, but still.

Carson kisses him again and cracks a half-smile. "I know, babe, me too. Just think of the game today as us hanging out for 3 hours."

Jared hugs Carson. "You really should get going, Carse, your super-important alarm went off a while ago."

Carson grabs Jared's hand and squeezes it. "I'll see you out there." And there's that pause again, the one full of meaning, the words  _I love you_ hanging in the air. Carson gives Jared a soft smile and lets go of his hand, soon disappearing around the corner on his way back to the Eagles' locker room. Jared lingers for a moment before finally heading back to his own team.

The actual game is a blast- both teams making great plays and staying neck-and-neck. Jared is feeling really good throwing the ball, and he can tell Carson is too, from the easy set of his shoulders when he's waiting on the snap and the way he strolls down the field after yet another completion. He's breathtaking to watch on the field, his height and arm and confidence getting the ball to his receivers combining for quite the viewing experience.

Jared wants to win the game, but he knows he and Carson will be good no matter the result. When Jared had confessed that he and Carson were a thing to his mother, that was something she'd been concerned about- how was Jared going to deal with competing against Carson? At the time, he'd told her it wouldn't matter, but now he knows that was the truth.

He likes- maybe loves?- Carson enough that football comes second. Jared knows he won't be playing for longer than 15 or 20 years, but hopefully he can keep Carson around for longer than that.

The Eagles end up winning the game, but on a last-second field goal, so Jared figures it's a pretty good loss for the Rams all things considered. He makes his way out to midfield and shakes hands with Mychal, Malcolm, and a few other guys before finding Carson.

They clasp hands and give each other firm pats on the back, as football players do, and Jared covers his mouth and leans in to whisper, "The cameras probably think I'm saying 'Good game, bro' but I'm really telling you how sexy you look after games." 

Carson laughs hard and then whispers to Jared, "Maybe I should tell the media I prepared for this game by making out with the opposing quarterback." They give each other a few more back pats and then part ways, Jared heading to the locker room and Carson getting pulled aside by a reporter. 

Carson meets him in a secluded corner outside the away locker room when they're both showered and changed and the Rams are about to leave for the airport. They don't have time for more than a quick hug and kiss, but Carson calls out "Jared, wait," as Jared is walking back to the locker room. Jared turns and is struck by the look on Carson's face, open and earnest. 

"What is it, Carse?"

Carson looks down at the ground, looks up, catches his lower lip between his teeth and then releases it. "I love you."

Jared can't help the gasp that escapes him. "I love you too, Carson," he says, then closes the twenty or so feet between them and kisses Carson furiously, feverishly, like his life depends on it. 

Carson buries a hand in Jared's hair and pulls him impossibly closer, trailing kisses from the corner of Jared's mouth to his cheek and neck, whispering "I love you so much, you don't even know" and kissing the sensitive shell of Jared's ear. Jared pulls Carson back up to face him, resting their foreheads together, both of them trying not to smile too much and failing. 

"I've loved you since the first damn time I saw you throw a football in Indianapolis," Jared admits, ducking his head to hide his blush. Carson lifts Jared's chin back up with two fingers, kisses him, then says, "This is kind of awkward for me, because I didn't love you until the third time I saw you throw a football." 

Jared rolls his eyes. "Come here, you loser." They kiss again, and again until Jared hears Todd yelling, "You trying to miss your flight, lover boy?" down the hallway. He reluctantly steps away from Carson, who tugs on one of Jared's wristbands and says, "Call me in the morning, babe." They hug and Jared finally forces himself to walk back towards the locker room. 

He can't resist looking back one last time and calling out, "I love you, Carse", his heart clenching when Carson grins and says, "I love you too, J." 

Jared manages to make it onto the team bus in time and is met with loud cheering and exclamations of "Get it, JGoff!" from Todd and his other teammates. He tries his best to make them stop but somewhat frustratingly can't stop smiling.

Jared would love to be on the beach next to the Bay with Carson, his skin warmed and freckled by the California summer sun. Or sitting in a stupidly picturesque meadow in North Dakota, putting wildflowers in Carson's hair. But falling asleep 40,000 feet above sea level with the fresh memory of Carson in his arms and echoes of "I love you" in his ears is good enough for now.


End file.
